Juliana was last seen at her residence in Arlington, Washington on June 30, 1989. She left all of her personal belongings behind at her family's rural estate, including her vehicle, when she disappeared. Juliana has never been seen or heard from again.

Juliana was married to David Charles Schubert in 1989, but divorce proceedings were nearly complete at the time of her disappearance. David has been the prime suspect in Juliana's disappearance since 1989. His photo is posted below this case summary. Juliana's relatives won $1.7 million a cash settlement against David for their two children in 1998, when a civil trial jury found that David was responsible for his wife's wrongful death. The Schuberts' sons publicly supported their father. They told investigators that Juliana departed from their residence with an unidentified blonde woman driving a red vehicle.

David was charged with second-degree murder in Juliana's disappearance in 1994, but the charge was dismissed and he was freed when a key prosecution witness became ill and was unable to testify. The witness later died. David was charged with first-degree murder in Juliana's case in October 2001. Authorities said that he spoke to at least one witness while divorce proceedings were underway and mentioned that he wanted to kill Juliana to find "peace" for himself. Investigators have always believed that David hid his wife's remains at an undetermined location.

David stated that Juliana called him from Colorado several days after her 1989 disappearance. He claims she wanted time to herself and simply never returned to Washington. David also said that Juliana traveled to the Pacific coast and visited the eastern United States after 1989. Her family said that she would never have abandoned her children by her own decision. David's initial trial ended when the jury deadlocked on a verdict in December 2001. He faced a new trial in September 2002. Prosecutors told the jury that Juliana wanted to retain full custody of their children. They stated that the couple's assets were valued at more than $700,000 in 1989. Prosecutors contend that a judge may have awarded Juliana custody of the children and the majority of their financial holdings. A local attorney testified that she asked him for information regarding divorce proceedings and said that Juliana was concerned about retaining custody of their sons.

Nickolas, one of the couple's children, died inside his California dormitory room in December 2001. The cause of his death has not been determined. Authorities announced that they believed David coerced his sons into testifying about Juliana's supposed departure from their home in 1989. David claimed that Nickolas's death was related to stress stemming from the ongoing legal proceedings. Nickolas did not leave a suicide note and there was no indication of foul play at the scene.

David was convicted of second-degree murder in his wife's case in mid-September 2002. He appealed his conviction, but the appeal was denied. Juliana's remains have never been located.

Above: David Schubert, circa 2001

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Snohomish County Sheriff's Office
425-388-3839